Jan 29, 2018

Morgan/Trump: Piers Morgan left trying to convince viewers it was worth watching

Piers Morgan tried hard to convince viewers there were revelations and tricky moments for Donald Trump during his interview with the US President (10pm Sunday, ITV). The interview was regularly broken up by Morgan’s own commentary on what we had just seen, or were about to see. Perhaps he hoped viewers with short memories or limited attention spans would simply take his word for it that it was a remarkable interview. But it wasn’t. Morgan consistently failed to put any difficult questions to Trump, or challenge him on some ridiculous answers and his commentary seemed intended to convince us (or possibly just himself) that he had done a good job.

Morgan was quick to remind Trump the two have worked together in the past, on reality TV show The Apprentice, and Morgan looked like a man who was being very careful not to burn any bridges. References to Trump's communications team, sitting just off camera, also suggested there were others in the room with a similar interest in Morgan steering clear of anything vaguely incendiary. He certainly obliged.

Yes there were questions on gun control, climate change, sexism and Britain First, and yes Morgan got a classic non-apology out of Trump for retweeting the latter. But Morgan was too often left nodding along obsequiously to asinine answers from Trump that went unchallenged. For all Morgan touched upon controversial subjects, he put no hurdles in Trump's path, only open doors.

Referring to the Women's March and well-founded accusations of misogyny aimed at Trump, Morgan asked "What message could you give these women?". "I am for them," said Trump. Morgan added: "Do you agree with their basic principles, which are gender equality and safety", to which the President obviously answered "I do".

Soft questions on a range of tough topics are the kindest gifts an interviewer can give a controversial interviewee. They allow the interviewee to step away relatively unscathed, while appearing as though nothing was 'off the table'.

And speaking of gifts, just when you thought the interview couldn’t get any worse, it did. While Morgan ventured a clumsy segue about Trump's youngest son being an Arsenal fan and laboured an over-engineered line about Trump becoming the team's next manager, he unfolded a personalised Arsenal shirt for a clearly underwhelmed President. Morgan apparently wasn’t sure what was supposed to be printed on the back. “POTUS 45,” said Morgan, holding the shirt up. “Trump 45,” said the shirt, for all to see.

This football 'banter' probably seemed a good idea at the time, but as it faltered it proved a weak end to a weak interview. As Trump looked on a little bemused and perhaps keen by this stage to be somewhere else, viewers across the country may have found themselves in the uncomfortable position of empathising with Donald Trump for once.